


Hands clasped six times

by babyliss12



Series: A/b/o fics [1]
Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: 5+1 Things, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst and Feels, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Basically 2020 was a mess and everyone needs hugs, Cuddling & Snuggling, Gen, Nesting, Pack Bonding, Pack Cuddles, Pack Dynamics, Pack Feels, Tw crashes, basically Kimi beings a dad and dealing with the grid, he acts like he hates it but he actually loves it, they are his kids
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-27
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-16 15:47:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 14,786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29702880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/babyliss12/pseuds/babyliss12
Summary: The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the wombAka 5 times the pack needed Kimi and 1 time Kimi needed the pack
Relationships: Kimi Raikkonen & Alexander Albon, Kimi Raikkonen & George Russell, Kimi Räikkönen & Carlos Sainz, Kimi Räikkönen & Charles Leclerc, Kimi Räikkönen & Lance Stroll, Kimi Räikkönen & Max Verstappen, Pre Alexander Albon/George Russell, background Kimi Raikkonen & All, background Lance Stroll/Esteban Ocon
Series: A/b/o fics [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2089893
Kudos: 59





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Sooooo this fic has been biting me in the bum for months!  
> Kinda glad it's finally done 
> 
> Quick warning - this does include talk about Bahrain and Romain's crash as well as previous F1 crashes - it's more prevalent in chapter 2 but does feature a little in the first part.

_1) Charles (Styria)_

Charles huddled in his nest, tucked in the corner of one of the lesser-used rooms in the pack building. Situated at the end of the corridor and rarely used - the other drivers favouring the main room for nesting - made it perfect for Charles. He didn't want to be found by the others, didn't want them to see him crying over the race result, but not for the reason everyone probably thought. He wasn't angry at messing up his own race, he was more upset at causing Seb to retire. Just like the rest of the world he'd been rocked by the news that the team wasn't re-newing Seb's contract and the atmosphere had been strained since the season had started again. Charles had felt distanced from his teammate in a way he'd only experienced after Brazil. 

When he was out of the car he quickly sensed the team's - and Seb's - annoyance with him so he'd been quick to apologise to the cameras. He knew it was a dumb move, he'd been more focused on trying to impress people rather than think about the race as a whole - he wanted to prove people wrong, that his podium the week before wasn't just a fluke. He just wanted to prove himself to people, prove that he could win races and be consistent but he'd fucked up in only the second race of the season. Debrief had been cold, there was barely any data to go over which was a blessing, but Seb had barely looked at him. The older omega stayed away from Charles, brushing him off when he tried to reach in for a hug. That had been what prompted his nesting session. He'd initially wanted to go back to the hotel but he knew there wasn't enough stuff in there to satisfy his cravings. That's how he came to be in the furthest room possible, the door shut to try and prevent the other drivers from finding him. He could hear some of them in the main area but no one had come down this far which he was grateful for. He didn't need the pity or the disgust from the others. His omega side wanted the company but his rational side reasoned that he didn't have many true friends willing to put up with him, and he didn't want to keep bothering Pierre. The beta didn't deserve to have to deal with Charles' diva moments and breakdowns as often as he did. Sure there was George, Alex and Lando. They were close then they were younger and they'd hung out a lot but since he'd joined f1 a year earlier than them he'd felt distantanced. The time playing against each other online had done a lot to help that but he knew the 'rookies' had their post race ritual of nesting together and he didn't want to intrude. He knew he'd fucked up by making the move, and he'd known it the second he committed to the corner but it was too late to do anything. He'd allowed his desperation of wanting to prove that he deserved the Ferrari seat, that he deserved _Jules_ ' seat, had worked against him.

Despite the fact he'd apologised the second someone pointed a camera towards him, social media was still crucifying him. He knew he shouldn't have looked at it, it was rubbing salt in an open wound but he probably deserved it. Seeing his name trending on twitter had made him wince but as he scrolled down he'd felt heat at the back of his eyes, tears silently running down his cheeks as he took his punishment. He deserved to know how people really felt about him. One common theme amongst the tweets was that Seb was probably counting down the days until he was out of the team and didn't have to put up with Charles. A lot of people had pointed out the similarities between today and Brazil and Charles whined remembering the fall out from that, but forced himself to keep reading. They were right after all, he was reckless, he thought he was better than everyone else and he was only keeping the seat warm for the next group of ferrari juniors. And there was no way he'd win a world championship.

He snuggled deeper into the nest, pulling one of the blankets over his head, blinking rapidly to try and halt the tears. Sniffing, he whimpered when he realised it was one of Seb's, the blanket covered in the scent of the older omega. Closing his eyes and inhaling deeply, he could almost pretend that Seb was actually there with him. That Seb was holding him close and helping him get out of his head but in reality wherever Seb was he was probably happy he didn't have to deal with Charles. 

Charles whimpered again as he remembered the thoughts swirling around his head. As much as he loved racing, right now he just wanted to be back with his family in Monaco or even have his brothers here with him. Yet he knew that wasn't possible, they had another race week to get through before he could potentially see them again - and because of the FIA restrictions, he wasn't sure he would even be able to see them.

Letting out a choked sob he burrowed deeper into the blankets, allowing the tears to fall. 

He didn't know how long he cried in that nest, wasn't sure how much time had passed before he heard a soft click from the door. Gasping he froze, heart rate speeding up as he tried to make out who it was. The room was silent, the only noise being Charles' gasping breaths. Nose filled with the scent of pack he failed to notice the second person in the room, instead thinking that someone found him but left him alone because they didn't want to help him. He heard a second click and his body sagged - they'd left. Fresh tears welled up in his eyes, and he let them fall down his cheeks. Despite wanting to hide from his pack he'd secretly hoped that someone would come and find him. _I guess I'm just not worth their time,_ Charles thought, hiccuping through the tears. 

So convinced that the pack didn't care Charles got the shock of his life when he suddenly felt arms around him, lifting him close. For a second Charles flailed his arms and tried to push away from the person holding him, but then he felt his head being tucked into someone's neck and as he inhaled his senses were filled with Kimi. Body recognising his pack Alpha he went limp, stopping his struggles and instead cuddled closer. 

As Kimi held him close, he started to gently rumble running his hands up and down Charles' back and through his hair. The soft touches made Charles want to start crying all over again but they wouldn't come, he was all cried out. Pressing his face into Kimi's neck he whined, desperately trying to get closer and get comfort. 

Through the roaring in his ears, he could hear Kimi gently soothing him, repeated sweet nothings and reassurances helping to bring him back. Despite Kimi's iceman persona and his own admitted reluctance at being the official pack alpha, he'd never turn away a driver who wanted comfort or even just a quick nuzzle. His father instincts played a large role but really Kimi took his responsibility very seriously and all drivers knew this. 

"shhh Kulta, you're okay, I'm here with you and everything will be okay, shhh little pup…." and on and on Kimi went until Charles sniffed loudly, pulling away and whipping the back of his hand over his face. 

He felt his cheeks heat up as he considered what Kimi must be thinking, he'd probably been with Seb consoling him about his race and now he was stuck with Charles. He's probably only calming me down so he can give me a lecture about responsible racing and then he'll leave again. 

Cheeks aflame Charles wrung his hands together, keeping his gaze down unconsciously hunching down into the nest awaiting the telling off. 

"Are you hurt Charles? Did something happen?" 

Charles startled at the soft but concerned tone, jerking his head up and staring at Kimi dumbfounded. 

"Charles? Are you hurt?" Kimi questioned again after not receiving an answer. Charles just stared unblinking at him. The two stared at each other for a moment and Kimi raised an eyebrow, making Charles blush again.

“I’m fine,” he whispered.

The eyebrow raised again, making Charles say again, “I’m not hurt.”

Kimi rumbled, reaching out to card a hand through Charles’ hair. “Good pup,” he praised, making Charles preen and bare his neck, happy that he’d pleased his alpha.

Kimi nosed at Charles’ neck, letting out pleased and comforting scents. 

After a few moments of letting the comforting scents wash over the omega, calming him down Kimi broached the subject again.

“Can you tell me what's wrong now Charles? Why are you hiding in here and not with the others?”

The question was gentle but Kimi’s eyes were serious and Charles knew there was no hiding from it now that Kimi had found him.

“Does Seb hate me?” he questioned, sidestepping the alpha’s questions hoping to distract him.

“What?! Kid, why would Seb hate you?”

Charles whined and ducked his head, wordlessly shaking his head.

“Kulta...Charles look at me.” 

Charles slowly raised his eyes, keeping his head down and looking up at the alpha from under his eyelashes. 

“Charles….” Kimi’s voice was soft, softer than Charles could ever remember hearing it. His fingers went under Charles’ chin and gently tipped it up so they were looking directly at one another.

“Charles, Seb doesn’t hate you. Trust me. He’s been trying to find you for the past half hour, even roped me and Pierre into the search. They’ve gone back to the hotel to look for you. They care about you pup, we all do.”

At Kimi’s words, Charles started crying once again, the alpha pulling him in for another hug. 

“It’s okay Charles, it happens, it’s racing - we don’t think any less of you for it. Sure Seb was frustrated but he knows you didn’t do it on purpose, he’s more frustrated about the whole Ferrari situation.”

Charles whined again at the reminder Seb was leaving at the end of the year, he was so used to having the older omega around at all times and he didn’t want that to change. He didn't want Carlos, didn’t want the alpha as his teammate but felt like he wasn’t able to complain to anyone about it.

“I don’t want him to leave,” Charles sobbed out, clutching at Kimi.

“Shhh pup, he’s just leaving the team, there’s no way he’s leaving you. He’ll always be there if you need him.”

Kimi continued to soothe the omega until Charles was calm once again. 

“Feeling better?” Kimi asked. “Good, now next time you feel like this, come and someone. I don’t want you going through this alone, okay?”

Charles nodded again and Kimi gently urged him up and out of the nest.

Biting his lip Charles followed the alpha out of the room and back towards the main area where several of the drivers were still lounging around. Kimi gently pushed him towards Romain and Esteban, the two French Betas opening their arms and cuddling Charles close in between them. Cooing at the distressed scent still clinging to the omega, the two began thoroughly scenting the young Monegasque who cooed back, happily snuggling the two.

Crouching down in front of them Kimi asked again, “are you good now?” Waiting for Charles to nod before continuing, “And what are you going to do next time you feel bad?”

“Come and find you,” Charles shyly replied, cooing happily as Kimi rumbled pleasedly at the response.

“Good pup,” he finished, leaning in and rubbing their noses together before turning and pulling his phone out, wandering away.

Charles let out a content sigh, closing his eyes as he was surrounded by the loving scents of his pack, finally feeling better.

_2) Lance (Portugal)_

Arriving back at the pack building, Lance made a beeline for his favourite spot just behind several sofas, out of sight from anyone just passing through but able to see the room as a whole. He normally tried to find a spot like that in the pack buildings, still able to see the others but without getting in their way - simultaneously able to please both his omega side and his introverted side. 

Grabbing a couple of blankets and pillows from the baskets dotted around the room, Lance settled himself back in the nest he'd started making that morning. He'd hoped to maybe have one of the other drivers join him in the nest after the race if it had gone well, but once again he'd DNF'd. Another points less finish. And another round of pay driver comments and harsh media critiques. He prided himself on being thick-skinned when it came to the media, they'd been saying the same stuff for years after all, but recently he was feeling increasingly worn down, and there was only so much more he could take. 

People only saw the end result or decision, not the build up. Something that had been highlighted by Lance's illness. 

Before they'd announced it actually had been covid, social media had exploded with people tearing him apart for not driving because he was unwell. They put it down to him being a poor little rich boy, 'awww, does someone have a stomach ache? poor baby.' Immediately jumping to the conclusion that he must be faking it because he'd 'finally come to his senses and realised he didn't belong on the grid,' because no other driver would let a small bug keep them away from racing. But what they didn't see was the fact that Lance had tried to drag himself to the circuit, passing out in the process from dehydration. His trainer David had found him Friday morning, half-dressed and splayed out on the floor, out cold. 

Of course, Lance had known he was sick, thinking back to Sochi when his stomach suddenly turned and left him gagging behind the motor home after the press conference. Sergio had tried to get him to go back and rest and even see a doctor but Lance had refused, he couldn't just stop his duties because he was a little under the weather. He'd managed to make it through the weekend, both pissed off and slightly relieved that he had been taken out on lap one. Following his mandatory media after the incident, Lance had returned to his hotel and slept for the rest of the day. As they travelled to Germany he'd begun to feel a little better, under the watchful eyes of his father, Sergio and David. He just felt exhausted no matter how much sleep he got. Training left him trembling and light-headed, not that he would have admitted it. His hopes of making it through Germany had been dashed after the Thursday press conference. As they left he'd experienced a head rush, static sounding in his ears as his vision blacked out for a second. When he came back to himself he was sitting on the floor, Sergio's worried face in front of him and various people shouting for a doctor. 

Although Lance had tried to protest he was overruled and was seen by the team doctor, as well as calling his personal doctor in Switzerland. Both just advised rest and stated there was no need to get re-tested for covid considering he'd returned multiple negative tests since the symptoms started. Thursday night was spent alternating positions on the toilet as his body rebelled against him, the sudden change from slightly tired to violently ill catching him off guard. When Friday morning dawned he'd attempted to clean himself up, ready to meet David in the lobby but had promptly collapsed. 

Once David found him, he'd forbidden him from driving that day instead trying to keep him hydrated and rested in the hope it would help get him ready for Saturday. Again, despite the lack of data they'd be able to collect Lance was glad practice had not taken place, because there was no way he could have been able to make it anyway. 

Late Friday night Lance had had to face the reality that it wasn't safe for him to get in the car the next day. He could barely keep water down and needed help getting from the bathroom to the bedroom. There was no way he'd put himself or the others in danger by trying to drive. He hated the idea of missing a week, especially since he hadn't had any contract talks with the team yet. Even though people assumed the seat was his because of his dad, the truth was the rest of the board didn't give a damn who he was, if he wasn't getting results he wouldn't keep his seat. 

Still it seemed to all work out for the team anyway, by the time he was on a flight home they'd already announced Hulkenberg as his replacement. It made Lance wonder if Nico knew something he didn't. 

He'd tried to put those thoughts out of his head, but with no one to distract him they swirled around his mind menacingly. At least being in a familiar environment he'd begun to feel a little better already. Not convinced by his doctor's assurances, he'd also ordered another covid test to be on the safe side and now he was just waiting for the results. Being able to nest surrounded by his family pack scent helped to ease his stress but as he sat huddled in a nest in front of the TV he started to flick through his phone, feeling tears sting the back of his eyes at the lack of messages from other drivers. Biting his lip he couldn't stop himself from opening Twitter, wincing slightly as he saw the expected hate from other fans. 

He didn't think the weekend could get any worse but then his test came back positive and only moments later learned that his father was also positive. He'd called his father immediately, fears bubbling over as his father tried to comfort him over the phone with little success. He then had had to call Otmar and let him know, the team principal checking he was still feeling okay before cursing down the line at the thought of having to tell the media. They decided to wait, the next week was a free one and they wanted to wait until he had to travel to Portugal to break the news.

The uproar from the announcement was, as they thought, massive. Criticism of the teams handling was rife and even the other drivers were slightly distanced from Lance from the get-go. He'd spent much of his free time snuggled in his nest in the pack room when he didn't have media duties, his omega side needing the comfort. Esteban and Sergio had tried to keep his spirits up but Lance had shied away, wanting to keep to himself. After his crash with Verstappen in qualifying, he'd hidden away from the Dutch alpha, shrinking further into his hidden nest when the Alpha had entered the pack room with Alex. Hearing Max ranting to the others, and hearing the likes of Lando and Sebastian agree that Lance was at fault as well, had left him shaking. They'd obviously not realised Lance was there, his scent hidden by the pile of blankets, the location of the nest hiding him as he'd attended. 

Shaking himself back to the present, Lance focused on making his nest extra nice. The soothing nature of arranging it helped to calm him down after the disaster of a race. He thought he'd been feeling ready to race but as the weekend had progressed he'd felt more and more run down. Not that he'd let on or that he'd try and use it as an excuse. He'd messed up, and that was his own fault. He couldn't blame it on anyone else but himself. 

Letting out a soft coo as he finished the nest to his standard, Lance sat in the middle and tugged a blanket around his shoulders and another one across his lap. Settling back against the corner, he shut his eyes drifting off. 

He was startled awake by the mix of new scents entering the room, the voices of his fellow drivers swirling around him as they discussed the race. Lance pressed back against the wall, sliding down a little unconsciously as he heard Max and Lando's voices among them. 

He whimpered slightly as he heard the British omega ranting about how Lance had crashed into him and ruined his race. Tugging the blanket over his head, he curled in on himself trying to control his breathing. Despite his short nap he still felt crappy, a headache was building and honestly, Lance now felt like crying. He'd hoped to try and talk to Lando alone but now he was with Max, Alex and George he knew he wouldn't get a chance. 

Despite all the craziness on social media, he'd always counted on his fellow drivers having his back, but this season it felt like that was slipping away. 

"Lance?" Esteban's voice reached his ears and he peeked out from under his blanket, seeing French beta crouching by the edge of his nest, a concerned look on his face. 

"Are you okay?” the other man asked.

Biting his lip Lance shook his head, shifting sideways in the nest and looking imploringly at Esteban. The French driver took the hint and instantly joined Lance in the nest, pulling the Canadian close and letting out soft little rumbles.

“Are you hurt or is it something else?” Esteban questioned, stroking a hand through Lance’s curls as he did so.

Lance whimpered slightly at the question, pushing closer to Esteban, poking his nose into his neck, inhaling the familiar and comforting smells.

“They hate me,” Lance whispered, blinking his eyes rapidly to try and dispel the tears.

He heard Esteban growl lightly at his words but stopped when he heard Lance whimper.

“They don’t hate you Lance” he tried to soothe but Lance wasn’t buying it. He let out another whimper as the pain in his head spiked.

Pushing away from Esteban, despite wanting to cuddle closer, he stated, “I think I’m gonna head out.”

He knew if he left now he’d have to walk past all the others and hear their whispers but he just wanted to nap and he couldn't do that if he didn't feel completely safe in his nest, and right now being around the other drivers wasn't helping his anxiety.

Esteban frowned at the words, Lance was normally very cuddly after a bad race, seeking the comfort of his packmates so it was unusual that he was acting like this. The Canadian had been acting differently ever since Mugello - his string of DNF’s overshadowing his podium in Monza and his recent bout of Covid making him more and more unsure. It had gotten so bad that even Sergio had pulled him aside on Thursday night asking him to help keep an eye on the younger man, and Lewis had checked in on him as well. Not to his surprise, however, Kimi had been keeping close tabs on him. He’d not said anything directly to Lance but he’d growled lowly at some of the others for speaking badly about him, the threat of an Alpha’s wrath hanging over them. 

Thinking about their pack, Alpha gave Esteban an idea. If he went and got Kimi maybe the Finn would be able to help Lance. He knew Kimi preferred waiting for them to go to him, not wanting to get overly involved in drivers personal lives but Esteban knew he wouldn't care this time. Carefully shuffling out of the nest, he gently pushed Lance back into it, wrapping the omega in more blankets.

At Lance's questioning face he simply stated “stay here,” before crawling out of the small space Lance had made the nest in, using the back of the sofa to pull himself up. As he appeared he heard a short scream from across the room, Charles looking in his direction, a hand over his heart. 

“Jesus Esteban, are you trying to give us a heart attack? Why are you hiding anyway?” The Monegasque omega asked, a little laugh in his voice as he recovered. 

Choosing to ignore him Esteban looked around the room, most of the grid was present now, sat in their little groups and most of them now staring at Esteban.

“Are you okay Esteban?” Antonio piped up, the Italian Omega was sat in between Pierre and Kimi, a concerned look on his face. 

Once again ignoring the question, Esteban looked directly at Kimi asking, “Can I have a word, Kimi?”

The Finnish alpha raised one eyebrow as if to say well go on then but Esteban hesitated. “Can you..er..can you come over here?” he asked. Once again Kimi gave him an unimpressed look but Esteban could see the hidden concern in his eyes. He gave a half-hearted sigh but stood up, pushing Antonio closer to Pierre as he did so. As he crossed the room he glared at the others, lightly growling as he did, telling the other drivers to mind their own business. They still shot Esteban some odd looks but for the most part, went back to their own conversations. 

Baring his neck as Kimi came over the alpha stopping just in front of the sofa, Esteban pointedly turned his gaze down to where Lance was and then back to Kimi. The Finn was now frowning in confusion as he tried to see where Esteban was looking. Esteban gestured for the alpha to walk around the sofa and into the small space where Esteban was standing. He squeezed himself out of the gap waiting for Kimi to join him. He could see the instant Kimi spotted the bundle that was Lance - a few tufts of hair the only identifiable part of him - the Alphas eyebrows drawing together and mouth turning down.

“Is he hurt? What’s wrong?” Kimi questioned, moving past Esteban and squeezing himself into the small gap, squatting next to the pile of blankets.

“I don’t think he’s feeling too well and he thinks everyone hates him” Esteban answered honestly, “he was going to leave but I don’t think that's for the best,” he continued. He heard a few gasps from the room and winced, the other drivers must have heard him, bitterly thinking it served them right to be upset and confused. 

He could hear Kimi softly whispering to Lance and a quick glance saw Lance moving some of the blankets away from his face and shifting over to make space in the nest for Kimi. Giving one last smile at the pair he headed towards Romain and Kevin, snuggling up against the french alpha who rumbled happily at him. “You’re a good friend to him,” Romain stated, pressing a kiss to the younger’s temple.

Lance and Kimi didn’t reemerge for a while, when they did many of the other drivers had already left, which might have been a good tactic on the alphas part. Kimi led Lance over to Esteban, who was still seated with Romain, Kevin and Antonio, gently placing him in the middle. The Canadian looked happier than Esteban remembered and he pressed closer to his friend. Lance cooed sweetly in return, whispering a thank you in his ear, prompting Esteban to wrap his arms around his friend. Kimi rumbled happily at the two of them, reaching down to stroke a hand through Lance’s hair one more time before doing the same with Esteban, Antonio and a reluctant Kevin who originally shied away from the touch but cooed happily. 

“Good pups” Kimi grumbled, a rare smile gracing his face as he wandered back over to Seb.

_3) Max (Turkey)_

Stopping his car behind the number two sign Max growled harsh and low. He couldn’t believe he’d had his pole position stolen at the last second by that Mercedes rip off and the pay driver. Max was the one who was supposed to get pole, Max was supposed to be the one challenging Mercedes and keeping Lewis on his toes and yet he was being beaten by a lesser driver.

He remained in his seat a little longer than he should have, glaring at Lance and Checo who were celebrating with their team, overjoyed at the first pole. The omega drive preening was under the attention, a huge grin on his face as the rest of the grid congratulated him.

“Max, mate you need to get out of the car now,” GP’s voice came over the radio. The soft tones of his beta engineer interrupted his brooding and Max growled again this time softer, but he started undoing his belts and turning the car off. Pulling himself out he forced himself to walk over and clap Lance on the back, ignoring the way the younger driver's face twisted as he caught a whiff of the alphas scent. Lance took a tiny shuffle back, baring his neck slightly as he cooed in response to the anger in Max’s scent.

The look on Lance’s face pulled at something in his stomach and Max took a step away, heading backwards before turning and hurriedly walking towards the media area. 

A lot of people referred to Max as the perfect example of an alpha in motorsport - aggressive, determined and with a single-minded focus on winning, making it a nice call back to the older days of motorsport, back when omega’s weren’t allowed to compete. The sport still had some critics that said the placid nature of omegas was ruining the sport, stating they couldn't go against their instincts and fight Alphas and arguing what would happen if they ended up pregnant and so on.

Although Max was more liberal minded now, there was a time when he was one of those people but his younger self had been heavily influenced by those around him. For a long time he believed it simply because he was surrounded by people that believed it and he unquestionably went along with it. Even in karting, he’d been outraged when he’d been beaten by an omega, purely because they were an omega. Even if he’d had a bad race and it was his fault and even if the omega was a better driver on the day he was still frustrated by being beaten by people that he perceived as lesser. The older he got the easier it was to research omega rights and omega drivers and become more educated on society as a whole and his beliefs began to shift. Especially when he first met Lando, the younger British omega was hard to hate because of his bubbly personality and Max had been generally accepting towards omegas since being in F1. It was easier than he’d thought, being teammates with first Carlos and then Dan combined with Kimi making it abundantly clear that he wouldn't accept those kinds of views within his pack, helped Max move away from those old views. It wasn't a requirement to be a part of the driver’s pack, some didn't want to and his father had urged Max against joining it but after his first pack evening, Max had been sold. His father had tried to prevent him from going but Max hadn't listened, and for once his dad hadn't been able to stop him. It had been rough at first, his anger getting the best of him off the track and bringing racing issues into the pack nights, causing tension between himself and the other drivers. However, they'd stuck by him and helped him settle into his secondary gender, helped him deal with the advanced senses and anger that came with being a young alpha. 

During his years in F1, he'd matured as both a driver and an alpha but occasionally he still slipped up and fell into old habits and old mindsets. The disappointing qualifying angered him more than anything else he'd had this year, even more than his multiple dnf's in Italy. 

He'd barely managed to catch himself today, he knew it wasn't Lance's fault he'd managed to pull a good lap out of the tricky conditions and Max knew he'd have to work on that relationship again. No it wasn't Lance's fault, it was Max's fault for not being good enough. 

He should have been able to take pole. They arguably had the second-best car on the grid and he'd always been good in the rain. It should have been his for the taking. But he'd failed. 

Media finished mercifully quickly, the presenters picking up on Max's underlying mood, Max headed around the backs of the garages. Finding a spot out of the way he stopped, leaning against a wall and letting himself sink down. He dropped his head against his knees, shutting his eyes and trying to block out the paddock sounds that were all around him. He knew he should have tried to make it back to the pack building or his motorhome but he couldn't bring himself to move from the floor. 

He sensed someone else hovering nearby and tilted his head so he could see, rumbling lowly when he spotted it was GP. The rumble turned to a harsh growl when he saw members of the Netflix crew hanging around as well. GP followed his gaze letting out an angry growl of his own as he tried to shoo the press away to no avail. Max whined as he saw one of the cameras focusing purely on him, hiding his face away again, ashamed of his reaction. He was an alpha and he should be able to brush this off and move on. Should be back debriefing with the team about how to improve tomorrow. Should be figuring out how to beat Lance into turn one. He shouldn't be sulking on the floor by the bins like a silly kid. Shouldn't be looking this pathetic. Shouldn't be looking this weak. 

Gritting his teeth he forced himself to his feet, snarling viscously at the media, seeing red as his alpha side made an appearance. The harsh sounds made the cameraman take a step back but he kept the camera pointing at Max which just made Max madder. He focused all his attention on this random cameraman, the one documenting his shameful moment and he growled again - a warning this time. The expression on the man's face showed he understood what was happening but again just took several steps back increasing the distance between keeping the camera rolling. The red haze descended over his eyes and Max felt his control slipping in a way that hadn't happened in years. 

Suddenly, through the red, he saw someone move in front of him. Growling, he startled when the stranger growled back, stronger and louder than his. It shook him from his alpha haze slightly, his instincts recognising a stronger alpha. He inhaled heavily, nostrils flaring and eyes narrowing as he tried to figure out who the alpha was. 

The Alpha rumbled loudly at the same time the scent hit him and his body froze as he recognised who it was. 

Blinking away the remains of the haze he felt his face drain as he looked at Kimi. The pack Alpha looked as furious as Max had ever seen him and he quickly bared his throat, showing that he wasn't a threat. Kimi stepped forward, pushing his nose against Max's scent gland, nipping slightly in a show of leadership. Max let out a soft whine but let it happen, letting the scent of his Alpha wash over him and calm him down. Kimi stayed close until Max was under control again, the Finn fixing him with a cold stare, but Max would see the hidden concern. Breaking eye contact he saw the camera crew were gone, a few red bull team members hovering nearby but not interrupting. 

Kimi let out a soft rumble, pulling Max's attention back to him, and the older alpha carefully grabbed Max's arm and guided him towards the pack room. It was surprisingly empty when they arrived and Max let Kimi guide him to one of the many sofas. 

The Alpha pulled one of the throws over them, the various scents mixing together in a soothing way that only pack could do. 

"What happened Max? I haven't seen you like that in a long time?" 

"I just… this was supposed to be my pole, my day and now it's ruined." 

Kimi let out a long sigh before stating "Max p2 isn't a bad result." 

"But I should be on pole," Max growled out, baring his neck as Kimi growled in response. 

"This was supposed to be my season though, I should be up there challenging Lewis and instead it feels like I'm wasting my time," Max admitted, playing with a loose thread on the blanket. 

"kid you've been on the podium with the mercs more times than anyone else. You're the one pushing Lewis and we all know that one day you'll be world champion." 

Kimi's words made Max look up in surprise, it was one of the longest sentences he'd heard him say even in the five years they'd been on the grid together. And Max knew that Kimi meant every word. 

He preened slightly under the comments but bit his lip. "I had some bad thoughts about Lance when the team told me, and then I saw the camera crew filming me acting like that and I just...lost it" 

Kimi studied him, "did you say anything to Lance?" Obviously Kimi's mind was thinking about Portugal and Max blushed. After the race Kimi had forced himself, Lando and Lance to sit down and discuss the weekend, airing all thoughts and feelings. Although it had felt dumb at first, it had helped them and had helped the pack bonds as well. 

"no, I didn't but I think he saw it in my face." 

"Hmm well I guess we'll deal with that later, but Max acting upset about not getting pole isn't a bad thing - most people would be surprised if you weren't upset." 

"but what if…" Max trailed off. 

"what if your father saw?" Kimi guessed and Max ducked his head in response so Kimi knew he was right. 

"it doesn't matter a damn what he thinks," Kimi growled out causing Max to whimper slightly. 

Wordlessly Kimi opened his arms and Max dove forward, burying his face in Kimi's neck, pressing his nose close to he older scent gland and inhaling the comforting pheromones the Finn was emitting. 

As Kimi's arms encircled him Max felt the last of his defences fall and started crying. Kimi simply let out comforting rumbles and stroked a hand through Max's hair. 

Sometimes Kimi acted like being pack alpha was the worst thing that had ever happened to him and that's what the majority of fans felt as well. Yet they didn't see the moments like this and they probably never would. Kimi was the glue holding the pack together and he helped keep them from falling apart on a weekly basis. 

_4) Alex and George (Imola)_

Alex dejectly wandered through the paddock, sleepwalking through his media duties, following Vicky from interview to interview but not really paying attention to what was being said or what he was saying. He was in shock from that race. He couldn't believe that he’d made such rookie mistakes, couldn’t believe how badly the race had gone. After the pitstop he’d been stuck down the order, fighting for only one single point while Max was in second. He’d managed to claw it back, mainly through others misfortunes but he didn't care. The higher he was the better it would have been for the post-race debrief, it would have been easier to look Christian and Helmut in the eyes. He knew these races were vital, the two men had been brutally honest about his future and he knew that if he didn’t start challenging the mercs and soon he’d be out of a seat. They didn’t care that the car acted like it had a mind of its own, bucking wildly into corners and didn’t seem to care that his driving style did not suit it. They only cared about the results, and at the moment he wasn’t getting them. He could have been on for an okay finish but the re-start had been a travesty. He mused that it might have been an easier pill to swallow if he actually had been hit. Instead it was a stupid mistake, he’d put too much speed on the exit, spun the wheels and ended up last. Dead last. When Simon had confessed it looked like his own mistake rather than another car, he’d felt his heart drop. Surely this was all the team needed to drop him. They maybe would have taken a fourth place or even a fifth place but he’d never know. 

It was somehow made worse by the fact he was an alpha. He felt like he’d always been held to a higher standard, he should be better than the others - he had the advantage of more attuned senses but even his enhanced senses couldn't help him in that car. 

Ever since he gained more attention in F2, he felt like the media pressure was crushing him. Being one of only two alphas in the perceived ‘top cars’ in F2, meant that many expected him to be able to dominate and by the end his third place had seemed like a waste of potential. It didn’t help that he came third behind Lando and George, the two omegas with links to F1 whereas he, the alpha had no such connection. This all took place around the time that the media was beginning to shift to a more omega positive view point. Despite all of Lewis’s success, the press were still largely harsh towards Omega drivers until recently. The success of Charles winning Formula three and Formula two back-to-back and George looking set to do the same had finally shifted peoples opinions. 

Despite the shift being a good thing, the pressure to achieve had only gotten more important for alphas, the desire to maintain their top status - not only in the sport but also in society. 

Alex had tried hard to ignore things like that, he knew George and Lando were good drivers and had fought hard to get where they were, but still since moving to Red Bull - a team with a dominant alpha driver already and many alpha workers - the pressure had returned. With their illustrious history, Red Bull weren’t used to being last, weren’t used to having drivers who weren't the best.

He tried to block out the constant comparisons to Max, the repeated news stories about how he wasn’t good enough and would lose his seat, he was confident in his abilities as a driver but as the season progressed he wasn’t sure he could trust red bull to give him the time he needed.

“And what do you think of George Russel’s crash behind the safety car?” 

Alex blinked himself back to the present, staring at the reporter with a frown on his face. No one had really mentioned what had happened to George, because he was running behind Alex the team hadn’t mentioned it over the radio. He’d briefly seen the car being removed by the marshalls but had been unable to get a good look at it. He’d just assumed that George had suffered a mechanical issue but instead it seemed like he’d crashed. 

“Oh er, it’s unfortunate, he was heading for his first points after all, but it’ll come. George is a great driver, he’ll get his points soon enough.”

It was a rather generic answer considering he didn’t actually know what happened but the reporter seemed satisfied, ending the interview and letting Alex wander away with Vicky.

“What happened to George?” he questioned, as they headed back towards the Red Bull hospitality, dodging through the small crowds of reporters and team members.

“He was trying to warm his tyres up under the safety car but lost it and hit the wall, he’s fine but he’s probably embarrassed.”

“But he’s okay though right?” Alex asked again.

“Yeah he’s fine, climbed out on his own but like I said it must have hurt. He was running in p10 when it happened.” Vicky confirmed, any chance of asking more questions vanished as they arrived back at the hospitality centre. He only had a short period of time to do his post-race cool down with Patrick before the debrief with the whole team. He wouldn't have a chance to think about George until later that night.

Debrief was tense. Max was brooding over the loss of a podium and maybe a potential win, Christian and Helmet were frustrated at the wasted weekend, and Alex felt his stomach sink further and further with every mention of the mistake he’d made. The data made it quite clear that he’d cost himself the points and it was damning. As the engineers once again went over the tyre data from the weekend, Alex felt himself drifting. 

All he wanted was to be with his family. The craziness of home would be a good distraction but unfortunately he knew he wouldn’t be able to. Still he craved the comfort that only a hug from his mother could give, wanting the distraction of his younger siblings squabbling and the constant noise of the animals would keep his mind from wandering into places it didn’t like to be. 

Still if he couldn’t be with his family pack, the drivers pack would be a good replacement. The nests of Charles, George and Lando had become very familiar to him over the years. George’s especially, as the omega had lived with him for a short period when they were younger. Out of all of the drivers on the grid and all the drivers he’d ever raced against, it was George he was closest too. George would endlessly support him, throughout everything; having his back when the news about his mother broke, consoling him when he was unable to get an F1 seat and then celebrating with him the hardest when it changed. George, the person who he could always trust with anything and the person who would somehow make it okay, no matter what it was. The person who’d called him after every bad practice, bad qualifying and bad race to make sure he was okay, and made sure he wasn’t dwelling on it. The person who he was pretty sure was his mate but hadn’t actually brought up the courage to say anything about it.

And that person was probably having an incredibly rough time right now, could possibly be alone and Alex...just couldn't deal with that information. Sod his own race, he’d messed up plenty of times this season, and it wouldn't be the last time if his luck was anything to go by, and he was probably already out of a seat so it didn't even matter anymore. He needed to be with George at that moment.

Shifting in his seat, he looked around the room, surely they were almost done. 

“Alright everyone, I think that’s it. Thanks for all your hard work this weekend, it just wasn’t meant to be. Hopefully next weekend will be better,” Christian stated, sitting back in his own chair. Immediately the sound of chairs scraping back and papers being gathered filled his ears as he joined them, moving to stand up before Christian spoke again.

“Alex? Can you stay behind for a second please?”

Biting his lip, Alex covered his sigh and nodded, sinking back in his seat watching as everyone else filed out of the room, Max shooting him an indescribable look as he left. 

Once the room was empty, Alex shifted his gaze between the two men, wincing slightly at the hard glare Helmet was giving him.

“Look Alex, this race clearly didn’t go the way we needed it too but we need to address the gap between you and Max again.” Christian started.

Alex swallowed heavily, flicking his eyes between his bosses, “I know, and I’m sorry. I know I messed up after the restart and I’m sorry, I was pushing too hard.”

“Does not matter,” Helmut cut in, “we need you to reduce the gap between yourself and Max. We can’t fight this championship with one car. You need to step up, or we will find someone who can.”

Alex felt his face burning with shame and dropped his eyes, hearing Christain sigh from across the table. “Helmut’s right Alex, we need someone who can help Max challenge Mercedes. The next few races will be crucial for you, you need to show us that you have what it takes. Understand?”

Raising his eyes Alex looked directly at Christain, the older alpha looked weary but determined. Alex knew it was just business but it still stung.

“Yeah, I understand.”

“Good, that’s all Alex. We’ll see you next week.”

Nodding his thanks, Alex stood and tried not to make it obvious that he was rushing out of the room.

Right now all he wanted was his pack. And George.

With that one thought in his mind he headed towards the pack building, checking his phone as he went, seeing several texts from Lando and Charles telling him that George needed him when he was free. Seeing those messages made Alex speed up, now almost jogging across the paddock as he pushed his own feelings of disappointment away with the knowledge that his mate needed him.

Finally walking into the pack building, he was immediately hit with the intense smell of an omega in distress. Rapidly moving his head, he quickly spotted George bundled up in a nest with Lance, Charles, Pierre and Antonio, the other drivers cuddling close to the British omega who with tear stained cheeks and a white knuckle grip on the mug in his hands looked frankly pitiful. The sight took Alex's breath away slightly, he'd never seen George that bad. George was normally so strong, not only in body but also in mind and wasn’t normally someone who’d show himself like this.

George looked up and locked eyes with Alex letting out a small whimper - wordlessly urging Alex closer. The other drivers shifted away slightly allowing Alex to sit directly next to George, pulling the younger brit into his arms and scenting him. 

George whined loudly pushing closer to Alex, hiding his face in the other man's neck as Alex soothingly rumbled back at the omega.

“I messed everything up ‘lex, I ruined everything,” the omega whispered, fresh tears sliding down his cheeks as he rubbed his nose over Alex’s scent glands.

“You didn’t, you didn’t George, I promise.”

“I did though, Mercedes won’t want somehow who messes up that badly.”

Alex felt his heart sinking further, “George no...you’re one of the best drivers on the grid.” The younger brit didn’t look convinced so Alex continued, “one day you’ll have all your championships and you won’t even remember this race. One day you’ll be the best driver, in the best car, and you’ll be unstoppable.”

“He’s right,” the gravelly voice of Kimi chimed in, taking Alex by surprise as he hadn’t heard the older alpha come over.

“George we all crash, we all make mistakes - bwoah i’ve lost count of all the ones i’ve made over the years. Use today as motivation pup, and it’ll just make you stronger.” Kimi carded his hand through George’s hair as he spoke, the omega nuzzling closer and cooing happily at the touch of his alpha. Kimi gently moved Antonio away and curled into George’s other side, pulling the omega out of Alex’s hold and into his own, continuing to stroke his hand through George’s hair and rumbling softly. As Kimi comforted the british omega he quickly glanced up at Alex, silently asking if the Thai was okay. Alex nodded but broke the eye contact, glancing around the room. With George now out of his arms there was nothing to ground him and his mind started wandering to the conversation he had with Christian and Helmet earlier. The others were so preoccupied with comforting George that they didn’t notice Alex starting to slip.

The realisation that this might be his last season in F1 begins to hit and as Alex looks around the room, seeing little reminders of his fellow drivers and friends he has to blink rapidly to avoid tears running down his face. He couldn’t imagine not being here next year but it was quickly becoming the reality.

“Alex?” The quiet voice of Charles, broke through his thoughts and Alex looked over, not able to stop the tears at the concerned look on his friends face. He covered his face with his hands, trying to block out the confused whispers and whimpers that were beginning to sound around him. 

“Kulta?” 

Alex whined louder at the voice of his alpha, keeping his face down despite feeling Kimi running a hand down his arm.

“Alex, talk to us, what’s wrong?” 

…

“Alex?” This time Alex let out a whimper at George’s concerned voice feeling hands on his, tugging his hands away from his face. Raising his eyes he locked onto George’s worried orbs as George mirrored Alex’s actions from only a few minutes ago and opened his arms for Alex to sink into. As George’s arms enveloped him, he felt another pair circle him from behind.

“Please talk to us Alex,” George whispered in his ear and Alex let out another choked sob.

“It’s just...i ah...I’m going to miss this next year.” he forced out.

“What do you mean? Alex...wha...what’s happening? Did they tell you something?”

“No… nothing new, just that i’ve got to pick it up but…”

“Well then but nothing, Alex you’re not going anywhere!” 

Alex whined again at George’s words and buried his face in the omega’s neck as Geogre cooed comfortingly at him.

Feeling one of the hands around his back move to his hair and brush his fringe back, the grounding scent of his pack alpha filled his nose as Kimi scented him. 

“George is right - you’re both having bad days and I know it feels like the end of the world but you’ll move past this. You’re stronger than this.”

“Plus I need you ‘lex, you have to be here next year,” George chimed in, brushing his lips over Alex’s temple, blushing as he did so.

“Yeah we need you,” “Yeah Alex, you can’t go,” “we won’t let you.”

The voices of Charles, Antonio and Lando piped up, all piling on top of Alex, engulfing him in hugs and reassuring coo's.

Despite his worries about his season and what the future may bring, Alex allowed himself to enjoy the simple comfort of his pack hugs. He knew he was lucky to have such a supportive group around him and that added to his motivation to improve and stay on the grid next year. 

_5) Mugello_

Despite his best attempts Carlos was shaking slightly as he walked back through the paddock from the med centre, Charlotte at his side. Even after having the all clear from the doctors and knowing everyone else was okay his mind was still racing from the crash. One second he’d been focused on his re-start, watching the Alfa in front of him accelerate and then the next second the alfa moved over slightly and he saw a wall of cars barely moving. Faster than he could even comprehend it, he’d hit the back of the Alfa, his car pushing it up into the air as they continued moving forward, the back wheel coming up and hitting his halo before it slid off and he’d continued rolling until he hit the wall. Despite his assurances to Tom that he was fine, Carlos was definity shook from the experience. It probably equaled his worst crash in F1 but it was more concerning to him because it involved the other drivers. Last time, he’d crashed on his own, speeding towards the barrier alone but the idea that his car could have injured someone else would not leave him alone. Thankfully they were all okay but Carlos knew this was going to stick with him for a while.

He gave a few press interviews seeing the other drivers who’d retired doing the same, relieved to see them, even if they did look irritated about the situation. He twisted his wrist in his hand, feeling the joints clicking under his fingers. A dull ache settling in and he made a mental note to grab some painkillers. 

"Are you going to hang around in your room or in the pack room?" Charlotte questioned as he finished the interview. 

"ah, I ah I'm not sure, hadn't really thought about it." All he really wanted to do was have a nap and he could do that in either although the pack room was likely to have several drivers ranting in it. Still he'd always been taught that it was better to be around people and especially around his pack if possible after a crash. 

Letting out a small sigh he told Charlotte his decision, waving off her offer to walk him over as he started to head that way. 

"Carlos!" hearing his name he turned slightly and saw Antonio running towards him. The usually cheery Italian omega looked weary but cuddled close to Carlos’ side, the beta instantly wrapping an arm around him and holding him close.

“Are you going to the pack room?” he asked.

“Yeah, I wasn’t sure at first but it might be nice to nap with the rest of you around.” It seemed to be the right response as Antonio coo’d in response, a small smile appearing on his face.

“I saw Nicky and Kevin heading that way as well, so maybe we can nest while we watch the rest of the race?” he offered, slightly shyly which made Carlos’ stomach twist slightly. Even if the omega didn’t want to admit it, Carlos could see that the crash had affected him more than he was letting on. 

“Of course,” Carlos replied, rubbing his nose against Antonio’s neck rumbling slightly and feeling Antonio press closer, his breathing shaky, before he pulled away and started to drag the spaniard towards the designated pack building.

Sure enough once they arrived they found Max, Pierre, Nicky and Kevin sitting in the middle of one of the oversized settes dotted around the room. A small pile of blankets and pillows on the floor in front of them but they weren’t organised into any sort of nest.

Antonio pulled away from Carlos’s side, instantly heading towards Pierre the French beta quick to pull him onto his lap and start scenting him. 

Carlos headed towards Max’s end of the sette, he could see the Dutch alpha was still annoyed about his crash but his expression shifted when he saw Carlos. Carlos wasn’t sure what his face was showing but it must have been bad if it was making Max concerned about him. In a similar move to Pierre’s, Max opened his arms and gave Carlos a pointed look. Sighing lightly, Carlos sank down into the cushions pressing his face into Max’s shoulder as he felt the alpha’s arms wrap around him. 

The group sat in relative silence for a few minutes, the only noise coming from the TV as the commentators discussed the crash. As they showed a replay from Antonio’s onboard camera, the omega in question let out a small whimper. The angle showed him catching the back of Kevin’s Haas and smashing into the side of Nicky while being lifted from behind as Carlos hit him.

Leaning around Max, Carlos saw Pierre holding Antonio tighter, pressing small kisses into the Italians hair. Even Max let out a few swear words at the clip, the same thought running through all their heads - that could have been so much worse. 

“God what a mess,” Kevin muttered.

“You can say that again,” Nicky added.

“Ah yeah that was your first big F1 crash,” Pierre commented.

“Yeah and I’m not in a hurry to repeat it,” the canadian beta responded, causing Antonio and Kevin to coo in sympathy.

Carlos startled when the door opened, frowning when he looked over to see Esteban hovering in the frame, he hadn’t heard that the French alpha had retired. Nicky seemed to share the same thought as he questioned, “what happened to you?”

“Brake failure,” was the mumbled answer and Esteban wandered over to the small group of drivers, stopping short before the settee. He hesitated and at first Carlos thought he was trying to figure out where to sit but even as Max shifted away from Pierre slightly, leaving a gap for Esteban to fit in the French driver didn’t move.

“Este...what’s wrong?” Pierre questioned. The two might not have been as close as they had when they were children but they still cared about each other.

“You’re not hurt are you?” Kevin chimed in, the group letting out a collective sigh of relief when Esteban shook his head.

“I ah...I was wondering… erm if we could make a nest?” Esteban asked, shifting his gaze so he was looking at the floor, body tense as if he was waiting for them to reject his request. Nest making was usually something the omega’s did, their instincts guiding them in making the most comfortable and comforting environment for their pack. However it wasn’t unheard of for a pack to make a nest together after a traumatic experience. Carlos hadn’t experienced it during his time in F1 yet so was slightly surprised that Esteban was asking but he could definitely understand why the French alpha wanted the safety of a nest. 

Kevin let out a little huff, causing Esteban to flinch but relaxed when the Danish driver said, “Sure, I wanted to nest anyway but my muscles didn’t like the idea of moving after I'd sat down.”

“It’s a great idea, Esteban, I think we all need it right now,” Antonio added, already starting to move away from Pierre sinking onto the floor and beginning to organise the pillows and blankets into an order that only he knew. For a second the drivers watched the two omega’s working at the nest before moving into action. Nicky headed towards the small kitchen area, getting water and snacks while Max, Pierre, Esteban and Carlos helped gather items from around the room. Making sure to add items that belonged to the other drivers as well, to make sure the nest felt fully of the pack. Many fans thought the drivers pack was more of a figurehead pack than an actual pack, thinking that the drivers were all so competitive that they wouldn’t be able to coexist in a pack dynamic.

Honestly Carlos thought the same when he joined. His dad had spoken about the special bond that came with driving in the same series with the same drivers but he hadn’t gotten his hopes up. He had his family pack and he had his friends, he didn’t need anything else. Back then pack alpha status was shared between Kimi and Fernando as the oldest drivers but Kimi was technically the highest ranking alpha. For the first part of the season Carlos hadn’t really interacted with the pack - despite Fernando’s best attempts - keeping to his team and the familiarity of his friends but that had all changed after Russia. Still the worst crash in his career, the fear that came with speeding towards the wall with no way to slow down was something that still stuck with him for years after. Knowing there was nothing he could do, feeling utterly powerless in that moment, he’d simply taken his hands off the steering wheel and closed his eyes. Waiting for the moment of impact. 

Despite the harshness of the crash and the wreck it made of his car, he’d remarkably been okay. Looking back on it now and seeing the advancement of safety he knew he’d been seriously lucky - and his luck had seemed to continue if today was anything to go by as he’d avoided serious injury. After his release from hospital he’d been a little shaky about getting back in the car, despite the knowledge that his mechanics had pinpointed the problem and fixed it, the lingering after effects of the crash had made him hesitant. Max had simply stated it was part of the risk after he’d seen Carlos’s hands shake during the briefing and Carlos had tried his hardest to put it out of his mind, shaking off Fernando’s worried hands during the parade and ignoring the concerned look of the other drivers. Following his retirement from the race, the team had allowed him to leave before the debrief but instead of heading back to the hotel his feet had taken him towards the pack room.

The hectic nature of the race meant that he wasn’t the only one in there and the second he’d stepped foot in the room, he’d been grabbed by Romain and Marcus the two herding him towards a nest. That was the first time he’d seen how the pack really worked, despite collisions during the race it was like hard feelings were forgotten when they entered the pack space. Pack was something everyone needed as so someone attempting to break the peace wasn’t looked upon fondly. When he’d expressed his fears from the day before he’d been comforted instead of ridiculed and it was then that his body had finally stopped shaking. He’d fallen asleep in Fernando’s arms, the scent of the pack filling his nose and feeling completely and utterly safe.

After that he’d stopped trying to hide from the comfort offered by the pack and he’d been ecstatic when Max had begun to feel the same. Their play fights and nest cuddles always drew a raised eyebrow from the older drivers and he knew that for a time they’d suspected the two were mates but Carlos had never felt anything but brotherly love for the younger dutchman. 

And here almost five years since his first pack nesting experience he was in a similar position. Between the seven drivers it hadn’t taken long before the nest was complete and they were all snuggled in. The race was restarted at around the same time and ran relatively smoothly until Lance’s crash. Esteban whimpered loudly as they showed a reply, showing the high impact and then the front camera showing a shocked Lance try to gather himself before getting out. They’d crowded around Esteban cooing and rumbling but they knew nothing would settle him until he saw that Lance was okay with his own eyes. Despite the nest there was an anxious undertone to the group and Carlos knew it was half because they weren’t racing but also because they were missing half the pack and their pack alpha. Even though Kimi’s reluctance at being the pack alpha was well documented his role was still vital. Sometimes the only thing that could calm a member of the pack was the alpha stepping in and Carlos figured today was one of those times. It had been a shocking accident and they all just wanted a little reassurance from their alpha.

Once Lance had joined them - Esteban jumping from the nest and running across the room to greet him, picking the omega up bridal style to carry him back to nest - they’d cuddled even closer, holding their breath until the race ended. Despite the comfort of the pack Lance had been giving off distressed whimpers and a sour scent, which had then been putting the rest of them on edge. As they watched the post race interviews, even Carlos began to shift uncomfortably, he wanted his teammate with him, wanted to make sure the young omega was okay but underneath all of that he just wanted his alpha.

If Kimi was surprised at the sight of eight drivers huddled in the middle of the room covered in a distressed scent, soft whimpers echoing, he didn’t show it. Instead just headed towards them rumbling softly before checking on them all individually. Carlos leaned into the touch, rumbling back at his alpha, and instantly feeling at ease. It felt like every worry was floating away from his body, like Kimi's rumbles were reaching right into his brain and brushing away all his worries and concerns. All he felt was the comforting embrace of his alpha. He felt Max and Esteban slump on either side of him as they felt the same thing. He felt slightly gooey inside, like all he could comprend was 'you're safe, everyone's okay, it's okay, you're safe.' The mantra playing over and over in his head, soothing every part of him. So relaxed was Carlos that he barely noticed the rest of the drivers had come back until he felt someone burrowing into his side. Glancing down he saw Lando, the younger driver clutching at Carlos like he was afraid he'd disappear. 

"hey cabron, you had a good race, congratulations," Carlos whispered, stroking a hand through Lando's messy curls. 

"I was worried about you… the team said you went to the med centre and that you were fine but I kept seeing the replays and I was just so scared for you," the omega whimpered back, desperately digging his nose into Carlos' neck, wildly scenting him. 

"hey hey mi corazon, I'm fine. It was big yes but I'm fine, we're all fine, just breathe, I'm okay," the beta soothed, rumbling softly, attempting to imitate Kimi and wrapping his arms around his younger teammate, pulling him fully onto his lap and holding him as he shook. A stronger rumble joined him and Carlos glanced up to see Kimi crouching in front of them again, a proud smile on his face as he looked at the two McLaren drivers. 

"I've got him," Carlos stated, holding eye contact with a small smile. 

"you do," Kimi replied, shifting towards Lance and Esteban, giving the still shaking Canadian his full attention but saw that Esteban was doing a good job comforting the younger driver. 

Sometimes Kimi thought the pack had evolved beyond the need for an official alpha but he'd still be around. Just in case, because that's what pack did. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Same warnings apply - this part deals more heavily with Romain's crash and previous F1 crashes.

_+1 - Kimi (Bahrain)_

Arriving back at the pack room, Kimi paused for a second, staring at the door and taking a deep breath to center himself. Although he'd seen most of the drivers around during the red flag and the post race media, he hadn't been able to talk to them and knew that most of them were still anxious about the crash and waiting for more news about Romain's condition. The younger drivers would need the support of the pack and Kimi would be no use to them if he was a mess. He needed to be calm and in control for them. Having a crash of that nature coming barely a year after Spa would have rattled even the strongest of them. 

However it wasn't just the younger drivers who would have been affected, the crash had brought back memories for everyone. Although all the drivers on the grid had grown up watching a different version of motorsport especially compared to the 60's and 70's - when everytime they stepped into the car they accepted they could die. Obviously it was the same now but with heavy crashes becoming less and less frequent, it was easy to slip into complacency. 

He along with several of the others would have remembered the crashes of Ratzenberger and Senna as their first example that it could all still go wrong in a split second.

The more recent crashes weighed even heavier on Kimi today, and he knew he wasn't alone in the feeling.

He'd already comforted Seb after the younger omega had come to him with red rimmed eyes, mumbling about the similarities between today and Japan 2014. When the Germans engineer was not able to immediately say that everyone was alright, Seb had feared the worst, remembering a similar situation when they'd driven around behind the safety car waiting for any scrap of information before the race was finally stopped.

They'd all been driving a long time and had multiple crashes of their own and so they all knew when it was serious. For Kimi seeing the amount of fire had been the moment he was convinced they'd lost another driver. Upon hearing it was Romain, the Finn was catapulted back in time; he remembered meeting the young Frenchman, remembered watching him getting his first podium and remembered his wedding. The thoughts rushing through his head repeating please no, over and over until his engineer was able to tell him that Romain was out. Seeing the footage in the pits startled him, the sudden eruption of flame and the heart stopping wait before Romain re-appeared. 

Arriving back at the pits, Kimi had growled at the camera man who'd been hovering before quickly herding Antonio towards the relative safety of the garage, out of view of the media. Joined by Robert, all three just talking quietly about anything that came to mind as a distraction. Given the weary look in the Polish driver's eyes and the sour scent coming from Antonio it wasn't really working. Even as the omegas scent evened out, Kimi could see the trembles wrecking his body and as they were preparing to go again Antonio confessed he wasn't sure he could get back into his car. Seeing the state of the young omega Kimi had felt his heart break slightly. It hadn't taken long for Kimi to reassure him, the racer in Antonio breaking free despite his fears but as he watched the Italian go, Kimi was hit with a fear of his own. What if Antonio crashed? What if he convinced him to race only for him to never come back? They all accepted the dangers of racing and for the most part tried not to dwell on it, but racing again after seeing a friend who even a few years ago may not have survived, was rough. 

Somehow they all made it through - although Kimi had sworn loudly over the radio when he'd been informed Lance was upside down. He'd made a mental note to check on the Canadian, as Kimi knew he was still trying to build his confidence back up. 

And that brought him back to the present, his pack was waiting for him on the other side of the door. Waiting for his guidance and support. Steeling himself Kimi went in, breathing in the whirling scents as he took in the room. A quick glance around told him that all the drivers were there, in part due to the fact that Kimi had deliberately stayed longer in his own room collecting his thoughts and confessing his fears to Mintu. Although talking with his wife and kids had calmed his nerves he felt the last piece of anxiety melt away as he saw that everyone else was okay. It was odd to see all the drivers together in one place, it was the true sign that something bad had happened. They'd pulled all the blankets and pillows onto the floor, using the chairs and sofas as a barrier and were all piled together in the middle. He saw Charles and Pierre huddled near the middle, Kevin in between them both, Esteban, Antonio and Lance curled around them. Lewis and Seb seemed to have taken charge in Kimi's absence, both appearing carrying trays of mugs which they handed around, both shooting Kimi a relieved smile as they spotted him.

He wasn't sure why his presence was supposed to make everything better. Just because he was oldest why was he supposed to know how to handle every situation that the world threw at them? Well he didn't know how to handle this. Couldn't tell the drivers that it would never happen to them, that they wouldn't lose another friend to the thing they loved. How was he supposed to reassure them when he didn't even believe it himself? It could easily have been him that was in that crash, could easily have been Mintu that was forced to watch and wait for news. Could have been Robin and Rihanna waiting for daddy to emerge from the fire, the short minute dragging and feeling like an hour. 

Shaking himself free from his thoughts he focused back at the matter at hand. It didn't matter how he did it, but he had to make them feel better. Somehow. 

Walking forward, he drew Lewis in for a quick hug, pressing his nose to the omegas scent gland. He felt Lewis shaking slightly and he gave a small rumble, feeling the younger omega relax slightly. 

"thanks, but I think they need it more than I do," Lewis remarked as he pulled away with a small smile, turning back to the kitchen area. 

Taking in the rest of the drivers, it felt right to concentrate on Kevin. The danish omega had red rimmed eyes, his chest still heaving with sobs as Charles and Pierre attempted to sooth him but both looked utterly exhausted. Charles' eyes kept darting around the room, as if checking that everyone was still there, one hand clasping Pierre's tight. The french beta looked in shock, keeping his face pressed near to Kevin's neck but Kimi could still see the tear tracks on his cheeks. Out of all the drivers he'd suspected that those three would need the most comfort. Kevin being Romain's teammate and frequent nest buddy would be feeling horrible about the accident while Charles and Pierre had already lost so many close friends that it must have sparked the unpleasant memories they tried to ignore. 

Stepping closer to the nest, he ramped up his rumbles, focusing on sending feelings of safety and reassurance to the other drivers. He could see a visible reaction from the others as Charles slumped down and Pierre let out a small sigh but Kevin just looked up at him, mouth trembling.

“Did you...do you have any news?” the Dane whispered and it felt like everyone's heads snapped in their direction.

Kimi internally swore, as pack alpha he would have been the one to have been notified if something had changed with Romain.

“I haven’t heard anything new, he’s in good hands though,” he tried to reassure but he could tell it wasn’t as convincing as he’d hoped. It didn’t help that he didn’t fully believe himself, there was part of him that wouldn’t believe Romain was truly okay until he saw it with his own eyes. Seeing him helped away by the medics didn’t really mean much, anything could have happened internally so Kimi was still waiting to see official confirmation from the doctor or Romain himself.

Kevin whimpered again, burying his head in his hands, visibly shaking, “I just want to know he’s okay… Gunther said he was but we haven’t heard anything since he got to the hospital, and I just...I can’t lose him.” The omega started crying, full body sobs racking his body as the other drivers pressed closer offering all the comfort they could.

Kimi bit back a sigh, this was when he felt out of his depth as a pack alpha, he could reassure them after bad races, console them about lost seats and make sure they didn’t read too much into what they saw online but what he couldn’t do was say with all certainty that they would always be okay. It was the unfortunate reality of racing. Still he had to at least try.

Crouching down in front of the nest he reached out and gently shifted Pierre so he could get behind the omega, pulling Kevin into his arms and then rearranging some of the others so they were all tucked around each other. Catching Seb and Lewis’s eyes he gave a short growl, nodding to the spaces either side of him watching as small smiles came on their faces and the two omegas scurried over. Lewis wrapped his arms around George and Alex while Seb pulled Charles and Peirre closer, cooing softly and brushing a hand through Lance's curls and squeezing Valteri’s hand. It was times like this that the pack truly came together, all grievances forgotten, no team politics just a pure focus on safety and family. It also gave him a chance to see how far some of the pack members had come. Seeing Max willingly participate in a pack night, and even offer comfort to his rivals left a soft feeling in his gut, seeing Seb remain ever cheerful and in dad mode when dealing with all members of the pack even when he was being treated as badly as he was by Ferrari, and seeing the younger drivers learning how to seek comfort when needed made him more proud than when they had a good race result. Looking around the nineteen drivers gathered, it just made him realise the hole that Romain had left. Normally he was the go to for so many of them, the younger french speaking drivers flocking to him after every race for his easy praise, the enane ability he had to bring Kevin out of his shell and he was one of the few that he himself would tolerate initiating the contact. 

When they were teammates it had taken a while for Romain to warm up to Kimi, to learn how to speak Kimi as Seb called it, but once he had the Frenchman had barely left him alone. Seb even used to joke that he’d melted the ice man, grinning as Kimi bwoah’d and rolled his eyes at him.

He would admit that he’d felt deflated after hearing that Haas weren’t going to re-new Kevin and Romain’s contracts, it was the loss of two very talented drivers but hadn’t been a massive surprise. The sport was cut throat at times but he hadn’t been surprised when he’d walked in to find an impromptu nesting session taking place when the announcement was made. In true Romain fashion he’d been focused on lightening the mood, even joking that it meant he could follow Marcus to Indycar and continue the ‘Ericsson hit us’ jokes. New drivers came and went but Kimi knew the pack would feel the loss of these two drivers more keenly than the others they’d experienced. However he’d take Romain leaving the series, if it meant he’d still be alive.

“Kimi?” The small voice of Kevin broke through his thoughts, and he blinked - realising that his eye lashes were slightly damp - looking down at the omega in his arms. Kevin’s face was now showing one of concern, and he reached up brushing a finger across his alpha’s cheek. As he moved it away Kimi could see some moisture and felt dampness on his cheeks as well. He wasn’t sure when he’d started crying but now that he was aware of it, he couldn’t stop a few more from leaking out.

He heard a few more voices cry out in confusion and he sniffed loudly, blinking rapidly to try and dispel the tears. The last time he remembered crying was when Rihanna was born, and that was in the privacy of his own home, not in front of his pack especially as he was pack leader. 

“Kimi...what’s wrong?”

“Kimi?”

“Are you okay?”

The chorus of voices got louder as they tried to figure out what was wrong, all of them trying to get closer to their alpha, and offer some support. It was Kevin, sitting twisted in Kimi’s lap who placed his hands on Kimi’s cheeks, cupping his face as he cooed gently, moving to nuzzle at Kimi’s neck - something Kimi had done for every driver on the grid. 

Kimi couldn’t help the smile that appeared on his face as he rumbled back gently, musing over his next words.

His thoughts were interrupted by Charles, placing one hand over Kimi’s and softly stating,

“Remember when I was upset after Styria? You made me promise to always find you or someone else if I was feeling like that.” The hint of taking his own advice was not lost on the alpha, and as he opened his mouth to respond he was cut off by Lance,

“You told me that nothing was ever gained by keeping things to myself,” the omega added, staring at Kimi wide eyed from his position wedged between Esteban and Max, the Dutch alpha nodding at the words.

“You’ve always taught me that being an alpha didn’t mean that I couldn’t ask for help for cuddles, that I should never be ashamed for feeling upset and that pack was what made us strong.”

Kimi weakly glared at the group, “Bwoah when did you all get so grown up?” he muttered.

“We had a good alpha,” Nicky piped up, “you’ve done so much for me this year and I know you’ve done loads for everyone else as well.” 

Kimi focused his glare on the Canadian beta, but there was no heat behind it. He knew how much Nicky had struggled at the beginning of the year and he was happy to see the progress that he’d made.

Eyes swiveling round the room he paused on Lewis, the omega had a look on face that meant Kimi wasn’t going to be able to get away from talking about his feelings. As much as he may want to avoid it, Lewis wouldn't let him. He didn’t expect to have to do it right there though.

“Is it about Romain?” Lewis asked, his eyes soft as he looked at Kimi. 

With the eyes of his pack on him, Kimi couldn’t bring himself to even try to lie. He lightly nodded, “I don’t want to lose another friend,” he revealed, tensing when the scent of the room immediately soured and wincing when he heard the whimpers echoing.

“Well I'd hope not,” Seb stated, “Schatz none of us are going anywhere, and neither is Romain. He’ll be fine, he’ll bounce back from this and come back even stronger.”

“bwoah, we can’t say that though,” he bit back

“Maybe not, but is it cliche to say we have each other?” Lando commented, prompting several groans from the younger drivers.

“Lando, mate you’ve been watching too many romcoms,” George called out, blinking innocently when Lando flipped him off. Both drivers baring their necks as Kimi lightly growed at them. 

“See we do need you around,” came the voice from Kimi’s lap again, “I know you’ve been thinking we don’t but we really do, besides I love Val but he's no you.” A quick glance at the the Finnish alpha made Kimi huff in laughter, Val looked terrified by the idea of being pack alpha. 

He nuzzled Kevin in thanks, he truly was going to miss the slightly prickly omega.

“See pack is good for you,” Max observed, quoting back the words that Kimi had said to Max all those years ago when he first joined F1, simply smirking when Kimi glared at him.

The light atmosphere shifted as a phone began to vibrate from the middle of the pile, and Kevin gasped as he wriggled around, pulling it free from his pocket. He gasped again when he saw the contact photo and he hurriedly pushed accept on the video call.

“Bonjour Kevin… oh and erm bonjour everyone else,” Romain's voice sounded from the phone, the whole group beginning to fight over each other to get a closer look at the screen, Kevin letting out a small squeak as he got squashed in the middle.

A short growl from Kimi made them slink back, “calm down pups, there’s enough time for everyone to talk to him.”

Kevin glanced between his phone and Kimi before handing it over, “Here you should go first.”

Gently taking hold of the phone, Kimi finally felt himself relax as he looked at the other driver, sure Romain was covered in bandages, but he was okay. And that’s all that mattered.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Like I said this has been biting me for ages and ages. When I first started this in wrote so much so quickly and then I hit such a wall... Like I couldn't write anything so I'm just thankful that it got better.
> 
> This is my first time trying something like this.. Idk how it got so long considering my block but here we are.
> 
> This was born purely from Kimi's radio during the red flag - to me it sounded so unlike Kimi (might have just been the bad quality) and I wanted some Kimi comfort. 
> 
> Mega mega thanks to the dc chat for keeping me motivated and helping me through my block - you guys are the best 💕
> 
> As always, comments and Kudos are love -  
> My tumblr is [fireessie](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/fireessie) come say hi ☺️


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